King Penguin

Aptenodytes patagonicus

The King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is a bird found in South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands. Sub-Antarctic islands and cold southern seas. It eats fish and insects and other small invertebrates. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

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Scientific name	Aptenodytes patagonicus
Region	Polar & Oceans
Found in	South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands

🏡 Where the King Penguin lives

Sub-Antarctic islands and cold southern seas.

🍽️ What it eats

🐟 Fish90%
🐛 Insects & bugs10%

A rough guide to its diet over a year. Source: EltonTraits (Wilman et al. 2014).

Conservation status

LCNTVUENCREWEX

Least ConcernThere are plenty of these birds.

💡 Parents hold the egg on their feet, tucked under a warm belly flap.

Hear the King Penguin

Recorded by Sander Lagerveld (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), xeno-canto XC396249. Trimmed to a few seconds.

Questions about the King Penguin

Where does the King Penguin live?

The King Penguin lives in South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands. Sub-Antarctic islands and cold southern seas.

What does the King Penguin eat?

fish (about 90%), insects and other small invertebrates (about 10%). These are rough shares of its diet over a year, from the EltonTraits database.

Is the King Penguin endangered?

There are plenty of these birds. Its IUCN Red List category is Least Concern.

More birds from Polar & Oceans

Sources: IUCN Red List (via Wikidata), EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014), GBIF sightings for countries, Wikipedia. Last updated 2026-10-19.